


Worth the Wait

by culie_kit



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Other, weird idea, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:26:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22024792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/culie_kit/pseuds/culie_kit
Summary: In a time line where Adrien isn't the son of Gabriel Agreste, Marinette is forced to work alone as Ladybug until she has to throw away her teenage dreams and truly become the Guardian.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 15
Kudos: 182





	Worth the Wait

Marinette ripped the pictures of Luka off of her wall. They fell in crumped balls to the floor joining the masses of murdered dreams.

“Marinette, are you sure this is what you want to do?” Tikki asked, the bright red bird like creature’s voiced concern. 

“I can’t be Marinette and Ladybug.” Marinette said, “I knew that from the beginning. I told everyone to pick someone else. But it’s too late for that now. No one can be trusted.”

“Marinette-,”

But Marinette wasn’t listening. She had stopped listening to reasons to stay the sweet, cute Marinette. The girl who made mistakes, who fell apart over boys and liars. She couldn’t afford to make those mistakes, it had cost Master Fu his life. And, in a way, hers. 

Master Fu was gone, memories wiped. And Marinette? She was left with the Miraculous box, the safety of Paris, and Hawkmoth. She couldn’t ask for help. She was officially alone. Alone, of course except for the kwamis who clung to her as if she was a chosen one out of a young adult novel.

She had already transferred to “a boarding school for design” in China. Her parents were overjoyed at her full paid scholarship into such a nice school and her friends were sad to see her go, but happy for her success. It was another lie. Marinette was getting good at lies.

“The Temple won’t be easy.” Tikki reminded her of where she was actually going to spend the school year. The Order of the Guardians. She needed to be better than what she was. And if the temple was restored, then so were the texts she needed to study. If Marinette was guardian, alone in the vast world of ancient magic and a power struggle of good and evil, then she was going to dedicate her every moment to becoming the best guardian. Her former dreams of designing and marrying Luka and having three hamsters were all just that dreams. Stupid dreams of a child. Marinette couldn’t afford to be a child anymore. Not after what happened to Master Fu.

She had tried. She had tried to live like as it was before. She tried to date Luka. She tried to hang out with friends, but nothing felt right. She felt like a fraud. She felt like… She felt like she was wasting time. 

She scooped up the mountains of crumpled work on the floor into the trash. 

  
  


Two years after training in the Temple, the class felt as if it hadn’t aged. Lila sat next to Alya. They sat close, as if they had been best friends for ages. Marinette wondered if she should feel jealous. She didn’t. Nino sat behind them, next to Felix. Kagami sat alone, Marinette would sit next to her.

_ Kagami waited for her mother at the school’s entry. Felix rolled his eyes, slicked blonde hair drowned in gel,  _

_ “Would be easier if she could  _ see  _ the road, wouldn’t?” He laughed at his own joke. Lilah giggled, catching up with her new boyfriend.  _

_ Kagami’s fists balled as Marinette snapped, “At least she’s alive.” _

_ The laughter died into a cool silence. Marinette made powerful enemies, but she also made a powerful friend.  _

“You came back?” Chloe asked looking up from her phone. Her ponytail was replaced with pin girl up do. Her bright red lips were glossed. Sabrina’s ponytail was elegant. The girls had grown into being the privileged brats they always were.

_ Chloe rolled her eyes, “I mean, I don’t think Hawkmoth is actually that bad. Like, he gives people powers and tries to help right a wrong. What does Ladybug do?” _

_ “She stops people from getting hurt?” Marinette said as if it was the dumbest thing she ever had to explain. It was. _

_ “Ladybug is also just really cool.” Alya piped up, still looking at her phone.  _

_ “You have to say that, you run a blog about her.” Chloe walked away from the pair. Sabrina tagging along like a loyal dog. _

“What’s it to you?” Marinette asked, sitting next to Kagami who smiled gently at her.

“I missed you.” Kagami’s genuine quiet greeting brought a smile to Marinette, 

“I missed you too.”

_ “I’m sorry everyone here sucks.” Marinette apologized to Kagami as they lounged in her bed watching a romcom. _

_ “I would go back to being homeschooled. But I wouldn’t want to leave you.” Kagami held Marinette’s hand. _

_ “I’ve always handled myself, with kids like Felix and Chloe, you have to.” _

_ “But now they’ve got to deal with us.” Kagami’s eyes glittered with new hope and determination.  _

_ A year later, Marinette wished she could’ve brought Kagami with her.  _

Alya and Lila didn’t bother to acknowledge her. She didn’t care, she had disowned them last Christmas break. And Ladybug demanded an end to the Ladyblog, which Alya refused, which had brought a big controversy to her blog. 

_ The first Christmas break, Marinette decided to go home for the holidays. She missed her family, her friends.  _

_ Kagami and Marinette were lounging in the park when a notification posted on the Ladyblog. Alya had written an article about the abandonment of Ladybug and the search for a new hero.  _

_ “What is this?” Asked Marinette in confusion. _

_ “Lila’s been talking about becoming Paris’s new superhero.” _

_ “And she thinks she’ll get it?” _

_ “She’ll lie her way into something, I’m sure.” _

_ “Why would Alya work with her?” _

_ Kagami shrugged, “It’s been a weird year.” _

_ “You could go back to homeschool?” Asked Marinette, she wanted to urge it. _

_ “No. Alix, Max, Rose… we need each other. They’re having a band thing later if you want to go?” _

_ Marinette thought of Luka, “I’m not sure if I could.” _

_ “I figured.” _

_ After she walked Kagami home, Ladybug took a strong stance against the Ladyblog’s claim and demanded evidence. The evidence never came.  _

“Why though?” Chloe asked, “Fancy Boarding School to boring for you?”

Sabrina snickered her bright pink nails matching her pink outfit. Marinette wondered if she changed her nails like her outfits now.

_ Marinette put the last ancient text back in its place. She had read every text, trained in martial arts, learned the history and lore of the Miraculous. Now what? She looked at Adrien, his shaggy blonde hair in his face (against the wishes of the other monks).  _

_ “I finished.” _

_ “Well, now we can kick back for a year.” He kicked his feet up on a table. _

_ “I finished.” Marinette scolded him, “I don’t think you read a single book.” _

_ “Why should I? You read them. I’m just here for my kickin’ moves.” He through out some punches and a sloppy kick that landed with a thud back on the top of the table.  _

_ Marinette rolled her eyes, but she was thankful for his company. She had expected the Temple to be empty, or filled with old monks. But there were some students, before the Feast, and where were they supposed to go? Adrien’s life had moved on without him and now he was living in a Temple. And he had clung to her. But Marinette had finished early.  _

“Some of us actually like our families.” Marinette said coolly. Chloe didn’t expect the bite, and recoiled. Marinette figured this year would be long, but at least she had the company of the collected Kagami. 

Class began. Marinette felt surprised. She had spent the last two years studying ancient chinese texts by candlelight as Adrien doodled in the library corner. This was a setting she had forgotten was so… boring. She quickly wrote the notes, correcting when she wrote in Chinese. She was thankful when the bell rang. Although, it just meant another prison with a different subject. She looked longingly out the window. 

Her walk home was alone. When they climbed into their loft, Tikki burst into dancing circles, ready to stretch her wings, 

“I forgot how boring it is to be cooped up all day!” She stretched out on Marinette’s pillow. 

“Same.” Marinette complained. She pulled out some paper and began to write. 

“What’s that?” Tikki asked.

“I’m writing to Adrien. He’ll be dying to know what real school is like. I’ll tell him how very boring it all is.”

Homeroom avoided Marinette. This wasn’t a surprise. 

“We have a new student today.” Ms. Bustier announced, “Marinette might know him, he’s from your school. Harrow International.”

Marinette blinked, “Uh.” She felt her insides tense. She would know absolutely no one from Harrow. 

The door opened and Marinette forced a smile, she would say ‘Oh, we never crossed paths.’ and then get sick be sent home to research the new student. That or maybe she could just disappear again- and Adrien walked in the door. 

“Adrien?!” Marinette was on her feet, her smile was so wide her face could barely contain it. He smiled at the sight of her,

“Oh good!” He sighed with relief, “I got the right school.”

Marinette rushed to hug him, and whispered in his ear, “Did they give you permission or did you just leave?”

He laughed nervously, “So where do I sit?”

Marinette was going to strangle him. He sat behind her and Kagami.

_ “You’re leaving?!” She didn’t think Adrien would be this upset, _

_ “What else am I supposed to do?” _

_ “Stay?” _

_ “I’m finished. And I did all this to protect Paris. And travelling back and forth through teleportation isn’t the easiest. I need to catch Hawkmoth. I need be in Paris.” _

_ “Where the danger is.” _

_ “I can protect myself.” _

_ “But you don’t have to.”  _

After school Marinette sat in the park with Adrien who looked nervous. 

“They’ll come and get you.”

“Unless you vouch for me? Without you it was SO BORING.”

“Adrien-,”

A scream pierced the Paris streets. Then an explosion as a citizen became some purple glowing monster. 

“Woah are those the akumas you were talking about?” He asked in awe.

“Yes.”

“And you faced them alone?”

“I had Master Fu.”

_ Master Fu paced his living room,  _ “ _ Ladybug always has a Chat Noir.” _

_ “Then we choose someone-,” _

_ “I’ve tried. The day I chose you. No one else passed the tests. I’m sorry Marinette, for now you’ll have to save Paris alone.” _

_ “I’m not alone, Master Fu. I have you.” _

_ “I am just an old man, my child.” _

_ “You are my teacher.” _

“So what do you have to do?” Adrien asked. Marinette looked at Adrien, his green eyes flicked with curiosity and loyalty.

“We fight it.”

“We?” Excitement burst through in a growing grin, “Which one do you need me to be? The Horse? Serpent? Mouse?”

“Adrien, I need you to be my Chat Noir.”

His excitement quickly turned to seriousness, “Are you sure?”

She pulled the ring out of her purse, “I’ve never been more certain.” 

He put the ring on his finger, “I will not disappoint you, Milady.”

_ Music from a far away room waltzed in through the window like the smell of a home cooked meal. It warmed Marinette’s soul with a homesickness so strong she felt as if the musical embrace had turned into a suffocating punch. Tears burned her blue eyes. _

_ “You alright?” Adrien looked up.  _

_ “Homesick.” Marinette put her text down.  _

_ “For Paris?” _

_ “For my family.” She sighed, “But this is important.” _

_ “We could… take a break?” _

_ Marinette usually fussed him for his constant wants of breaks and snacks, but this time she caved without hesitation, “Yeah. A break is nice.” _

_ He smiled as he stood up, “I’ve always wanted to do this.” _

_ “What?” She asked as he offered her his hand,  _

_ “Can I have this dance, Milady?” _

_ She laughed as she let him waltz around the library as the candles burned away. _

Alya and Lila were already on the scene. Alya was filming, Lila in front of the camera, being center stage. 

“Another akuma attack and Ladybug is late as usual-,”

“Milady, I didn’t know you had fans!” Chat Noir teased, flying by them. 

“Is that what those are?” Ladybug felt satisfaction at the pair’s stumble. 

Fighting with Adrien felt like she had been fighting with him her entire life. The two were in sync. The battle was much easier than they had been before. 

_ Marinette sat in Master Fu’s living room, exhausted. Tikki nibbled on her snacks. But Marinette just felt drained.  _

_ “Will I be in these fights on my own, forever?” She asked. _

_ “We’ll find a Chat soon enough.” _

_ But Marinette did not think it would be soon enough. _

She looked at the brave Kagami ready to defend on the streets. She knew another person to add to her squad. 

Marinette was the Guardian, and she was going to have a squad and the trio would be unbreakable. 

She looked at Adrien as she did her lucky charm: Chat Noir was worth the wait.


End file.
